1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to underground plant watering devices, and more particularly to an underground plant watering device that completely encircles and simultaneously delivers water directly both to the upper and lower portion of a plant""s roots, and also serves as an aerator conduit to deliver oxygen directly to the soil surrounding the roots.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It has long been known that, with the exception of very wet climates, watering of plants enhances the growth and productivity of flowers and fruits. Fertilizers and nutrients are also commonly mixed with water and delivered through the watering systems. In a conventional garden, water is usually applied with a sprinkler, which wets the entire ground surface area and leaves water droplets on the plant leaves. This watering method results in producing an abundance of healthy weeds and promotes bacteria and fungus growth on the plant leaves. Non-organic chemical fertilizers mixed with water and delivered through a sprinkler or applied over large areas can also contaminate groundwater systems.
Conventional watering wastes vast amounts of water because, first, much of the water evaporates before it gets below the surface of the soil to a depth at which it would be utilized; second, much of the water that reaches below the soil surface is disbursed throughout the soil in all direction and often outside the limited area where it can be absorbed by the root system, and third, large volumes of water delivered to the soil in a brief period of time is wasted because absorption is limited by the size of the root system and much of the water will trickle out of the root area before it can be absorbed.
There are several patents that disclose various plant watering devices that attempt to overcome these problems. Some of these devices deliver water close to the root system below the soil surface, some are designed to limit the outflow of water from the area of the plant""s root system, and others are elaborate drip-watering systems built for slow water delivery.
Hartman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,380 and Muza et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,706 are examples of single tubular spike-like apertured devices that are driven into the soil near the root system of a plant and through which water and/or water and fertilizer is passed. The single tube systems allow watering near the root area only from a single spot on one side of the roots, as opposed to completely surrounding the roots.
Caldwell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,586, and Scharf, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,992, disclose devices utilizing bowl shaped water reservoirs that are placed on the top surface of the soil surrounding a plant and have one or more circumferentially spaced apertured tubes that extend into the soil near the root system. These devices utilize watering tubes of a fixed length secured to the reservoir that do not completely surround the roots and may not reach the optimum depth relative to the buried roots. Placing the bowl-shaped reservoirs on the soil surface above the root system is detrimental to optimum air circulation through the soil and may promote bacteria and fungus growth at the trunk of the plant. The open-ended reservoirs are subject to contamination and gathering of particles that could clog the perforations in the watering tubes. Moreover, the open-ended reservoirs allow water evaporation and will attract birds, vermin, and insects, which can destroy the plant.
Caso, U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,666 discloses an enclosed flexible toroid-shaped reservoir having a plurality of circumferentially spaced tubular metering nozzles that extend into the soil, and require perforation by the user prior to use. Although this device overcomes the open-ended reservoir problem, the tubular nozzles are of a fixed length and integral with the reservoir and may not reach the optimum depth relative to the buried roots. Also, the reservoir is placed on the soil surface above the root system which is detrimental to optimum air circulation through the soil and will promote bacteria and fungus growth at the trunk of the plant.
O""Hara, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,757 discloses a root ball water device that is placed around the root ball of a tree or shrub harvested from a nursery. The device is formed of a continuous strand of perforated tubing wound into a series of 360xc2x0 intersecting loops which define a relatively complex contoured truncated shape with a larger diameter loop at the top and one of smaller diameter below the top loop with the series of loops fastened together at strategic points so that the loops are disposed substantially diagonally.
Watkins, U.S. Pat. No. 2,105,800 discloses a flexible subirrigation device utilizing a scrap rubber tire that is buried horizontally in the ground surrounding the root portion of a plant. The tread portion forms the outer periphery and the side walls form the top and bottom walls, and the bead portions which fit the rim may be positioned close together or wide apart to form an annular slot facing toward the roots of the plant. The downward facing side wall is provided with a plurality of perforations and a funnel may be connected into an aperture in the upper facing side wall for introducing water into the tire casing. The tire casing may also be filled with a water absorbent or water retention material prior to its burial.
The Watkins patent issued in 1938 and since that time much has been learned about buried tires. Most States now have regulations prohibiting burial of whole scrap tires in landfills because they tend to trap air and gases and rise to the surface. Also, studies have shown that buried tires can produce toxic chemicals that are leeched into the soil and groundwater. Watkins states that the cotton cords may rot, however, with modern day steel belted tires, the metallic elements may rust and also leech hazardous metallic solutions into the soil and groundwater. These hazardous chemicals and solutions are likely to be absorbed into the groundwater and root system of the plant.
Polko, German Patent 85,478, issued in 1896, discloses an underground root-level plant watering device with an annular water dispersion tube and a tubular fill tube. The annular water dispersion tube is formed of two semicircular tubular rings having what appears to male and female threaded ends connected together. It is not clear how one could threadedly connect both ends since it would not be possible to twist or screw the second ends together after the first ends are connected together.
Yamahachi Chem KK, Japan Patent 57-141227 discloses an underground root-level plant watering device with an annular water dispersion tube and a tubular fill tube. In the English abstract, the device is described as having porous cups formed of polyolefin foam material having a porosity of 30% to 60% wherein the foam cups are charged with water and liquid fertilizer which will gradually ooze out over a long period of time.
Enyeart, U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,933 discloses a system of perforated piping or conduit and apparatus for aerating comminuted matter such as soil wherein warm and/or evaporated moist air, water vapor, or other gases is injected under pressure into the soil to provide moisture proximate that plant nodules of the root system.
The present invention is distinguished over the prior art in general, and the above patents in particular by a root-level plant watering and feeding device having a hollow annular liquid dispersion member that circumscribes a center opening of sufficient size to completely encircle a buried root system of a plant and an elongate hollow tubular fill tube connected with the dispersion member which has an upper portion extending upwardly therefrom terminating in an open top end. A removable cap encloses the open top end. The dispersion member has an upper and lower row of longitudinally spaced perforations through its side wall that face toward the center opening. The dispersion member is positioned underground in a substantially horizontal plane with its center opening completely encircling the buried root system in radially spaced relation with the fill tube extending upwardly therefrom and its open top end disposed above the ground surface. Liquids and nutrients introduced into the fill tube are disbursed generally equally through the soil with the upper row of holes directing liquid and nutrients toward an upper portion of the root system and the lower row directing liquid and nutrients toward or below a lower portion of the root system. When the fill tube is empty and the cap is removed, the device serves as an aerator conduit to deliver oxygen directly to the soil surrounding the roots.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a plant watering and feeding device that will significantly reduce the amount of water and fertilizer required to effectively water and fertilize a plant or an entire garden.
It is another object of this invention to provide a plant watering and feeding device that will conserve water by eliminating evaporation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that is placed beneath the soil surface and will not promote bacteria and fungus growth at the trunk of the plant.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that delivers water and water and fertilizer directly to an individual plant""s roots where they are absorbed more efficiently.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that may also be used to deliver oxygen directly to the soil surrounding an individual plant""s roots in addition to water and fertilizer.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that completely encircles and delivers water and water and fertilizer to an individual plant""s roots from every direction in a substantially uniform fashion.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that simultaneously delivers water and water and fertilizer directly to both the upper root system and the lower root system of an individual plant""s roots to promote maximum root growth.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that allows the use of milder natural organic fertilizers rather than harsh non-organic chemical fertilizers and substantially reduces the possibility of contaminating groundwater with fertilizer chemicals and pesticides.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that has no exposed water reservoir and will not attract birds, vermin, and insects, which can destroy the plant.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that has no exposed water reservoir that would be subject to contamination and gathering of particles that could clog perforations in the water dispersion tube.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that can be easily and quickly cleaned and its perforations unclogged after use using a water hose.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device having a perforated liquid dispersion member that is positioned underground in the soil relative to a plant""s root system during the planting operation to promote maximum plant growth and has an easily accessible above-ground fill tube.
Another object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device having a perforated liquid dispersion member that is configured to facilitate manufacture by an injection molding process.
A further object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that is easily and quickly assembled for use and easily and quickly disassembled for cleaning and storage.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a plant watering and feeding device that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and is reusable.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent from time to time throughout the specification and claims as hereinafter related.
The above noted objects and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a root-level plant watering and feeding device having a hollow annular liquid dispersion member that circumscribes a center opening of sufficient size to completely encircle a buried root system of a plant and an elongate hollow tubular fill tube connected with the dispersion member which has an upper portion extending upwardly therefrom terminating in an open top end. A removable cap encloses the open top end. The dispersion member has an upper and lower row of longitudinally spaced perforations through its side wall that face toward the center opening. The dispersion member is positioned underground in a substantially horizontal plane with its center opening completely encircling the buried root system in radially spaced relation with the fill tube extending upwardly therefrom and its open top end disposed above the ground surface. Liquids and nutrients introduced into the fill tube are disbursed generally equally through the soil with the upper row of holes directing liquid and nutrients toward an upper portion of the root system and the lower row directing liquid and nutrients toward or below a lower portion of the root system. When the fill tube is empty and the cap is removed, the device serves as an aerator conduit to deliver oxygen directly to the soil surrounding the roots.